A five-star hotel chef’s former colleague allegedly assaulted him on Saturday, at Powai following a misunderstanding between the two.

A five-star hotel chef’s former colleague allegedly assaulted him on Saturday, at Powai following a misunderstanding between the two.

The Powai police said the victim, RP Singh, 45, resident of Bhandup and senior chef at the Renaissance Hotel near Powai Lake was returning home after his duty when the incident occurred.

Singh, in his statement to the police, said he was travelling on his motorcycle and had reached the IIT Campus at Powai when two people intercepted him.

“They began abusing me. When I asked them to mind their language they got irked and a fight broke out,” alleged Singh, who has been working at the hotel for the past 10 years.

Singh alleged that after a while, his former colleague, Nihal Jadhav, 25, who worked at the utility department of the kitchen at the hotel, appeared.

The three then allegedly assaulted Singh with iron rods.

They later fled the spot after a few locals gathered at the spot hearing Singh’s cries for help, his complaint said.

“The locals then rushed Singh to the Rajawadi Hospital. Singh has suffered a fracture in his left hand and several injuries on head, face and back,” said Ashok Jadhav, senior police inspector from the Powai police station.

When asked what was the motive behind the attack, Singh said Nihal, who is a resident of Vikhroli, was fired from his job a few months ago because of his misconduct and inefficiency at work.

Nihal thought Singh had complained about him to his superiors because of which, he was fired, claims Singh.

“We are trying to trace Nihal and only after he is arrested we will be able to trace his associates,” said Jadhav.

“We had also gone to Jadhav’s house at Vikhroli and have called his relatives for a statement. However, he has not returned home since the incident,” he added.